When Tomorrow Never Comes
by Lia Faile
Summary: Pre-G889 story about Danziger's love and loss of Eleanor Moore.


**When Tomorrow Never Comes**

by

Lia Faile

Danziger woke, yawned, and stretched. His big bear frame already taking most of the small bed's space took the rest of it, much to the chagrin of his bed mate. He turned his head to the sound of a loud thump and an even louder curse .Elle's head popped up, coffee-colored eyes flashing through strands of auburn hair.

"You snore, hog the covers, and shove me out of bed Why do I put up with you?"

John sized up her expression and weighed the various responses to her irate query. Grinning, he decided he felt like playing with fire this morning.

"Aw babe," he said as he stretched again various bones cracking,"you _know_ I'm the best there is. Best mechanic, best lov--"

WHOOMP! Elle's pillow cut off John's litany of graces. The battle had been engaged.

A frenzied pillow fight erupted in the tiny apartment. With her body being quicker plus being a smaller target, Elle was winning the duel until Danziger managed to grab his opponent's pillow disarming her. Then he grabbed the screeching Elle around the waist and giving a tarzan-like yell tossed her over his shoulder onto the bed like she was just another pillow. He pinned her wrists above her head as he straddled her being careful not to hurt her. He was well aware of his imposing strength and size. They often came in handy. Ominous glares worked faster than any words. Hurting someone didn't get him off, but pissing them off did. The melee had left them both sweaty and panting. Smirking wickedly, Danziger lowered his head until their noses touched.

"Say uncle."

Instead Elle decided to switch tactics. She bit his chin playfully, and began to glide her body against his. Inhaling sharply Danziger closed his eyes as his body shuddered in response. Gently he caressed her soft face with his coarse one. Kissing her nose, eyebrows, ears, neck, chin, and finally her lips. A softer battle began to rage.

***************************************

Dragging her brush through her hair, Elle ignored the pain her hurried yanks caused.

"Keep that up and you won't have any left."

Danziger took the brush from her fingers, and carefully brushed her auburn tresses. When he had them sufficiently smoothed he deftly twisted them into a thick braid that hung down her back. Setting the brush down on the bathroom counter, Danziger snaked his arms around her waist. He leaned down and kissed her ear lobe.

"We're gonna be late--again."

She chided softly even as she laced her fingers into his. Resting his chin on her shoulder Danziger gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Tightening his arms slightly he whispered,

"Marry me, Elle."

Her eyes never shifted away from his vulnerable ones. A soft smile tugged at her lips and her hand came up to cup his cheek.

"You know I love you, don't you?"

Nodding yes he leaned his cheek into her hand and closed his eyes. He knew what was coming next and he wished he could close his ears too.

"You know how I feel about marriage. It's an old fashion convention that should have died with the Earth. It's for the hoity-toity rich who still have financial reasons for marital contracts."

She turned in his arms to face him. She wrapped one arm around his neck and nudged his chin up with the finger of the other, forcing him to look at her.

"Besides," a mischievous expression bloomed across her face. "If I married you, you'd just take me for granted. I'd be stuck with you for three years. This way I keep you on your toes because you never know if I'm gonna just up and leave."

Sighing deeply Danziger replied,

"Yeah, what do people like us need marriage for?"

He released her and turned to put on his navy blue work jacket.

"I'm sorry about knocking you out of bed again. After this mission I promise I'll get a bigger bed."

Tugging on his jacket sleeve she asked "Hey, who said I wanted a bigger bed? We barely have room to walk around this place now. Anyway, we may want to use the space for something else."

Her gaze lingered on the cluttered quarters. Their tools were neatly stacked together. Dirty cloths strewn about. VR vids piled on the small table. Toiletries crammed on the shelf in bathroom. She wondered if they had purposefully mixed everything together just to make it that much more difficult to part. Her eyes fixed on the gift John had gotten her for her last birthday. An old fashion wind chime made of blue and red glass shaped like birds. The only time they got to play their song now was when she puffed her breath against them sending them tinkling. A totally useless and impractical gift that he paid way too many credits for. And one she'd never part with for the world.

"Ask me again tomorrow."

She whispered stroking a bird with her fingertip.

"What?"

Straightening the collar of his jacket, she repeated

"Ask me again, tomorrow."

Danziger stood in the open doorway. He looked down at her with a furrowed brow and shrugged his shoulders in confusion. Rolling her eyes, Elle let out an exasperated sigh. She spoke slowly, enunciating each word clearly as if she were explaining something to a child.

"_Ask_me_to_marry_you_again__tomorrow_."

"Huh? Yeah, right! I'm going to go through that humiliation again!" Danziger snorted, and laughed ruefully. Elle poked him in the chest for emphases of each word this time.

"Ask-me-again--tomorrow."

Danziger rubbed his chest where she had been poking him. His puzzlement began to give way to anger.

_"Why? _I've asked you twice, and twice you've turned me down cold. It's a bit hypocritical after that little speech you just gave me, don'tcha think?!"

Elle's temper flared in response to his bellowed question, and she reached out, pinched the tender skin in his side, and twisted.

"OUCH!!"

"ASK ME AGAIN,TOMORROW!!"

Danziger counted to ten silently as he glared at her. She glared back and took a step closer to him. Danziger counted to ten again. He rubbed the back of his neck, then held out his hands in supplication.

"Okay, Okay. I'll ask you to marry me again tomorrow."

Elle smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"Good." "Come on," she said as she lead him out the door.

"Alex is gonna kill us if we're late."

A very confused Danziger followed her, and wondered not for the first time if he was in love with a crazy woman.

**********************

Leaning against the Exotech transport ship, Les and Alex watched as the couple raced down the corridor towards them.

"Where have you two been?!"

Their flushed faces and sheepish grins told Alex all she needed to know.

"Look, I'm all for love, but not when it cuts into my credit earnings."

"Sorry, Alex. El had trouble with her hair this morning."

"Un huh. This is not how an Exotech Crew chief sets a good example."

Alex tried to maintain her scowl but Les' laughter made it turn into a grin. Shaking her head she walked into the transport, the others following and laughing.

"What's our ETA to Station Moera?"

Elle asked as she dealt out the cards.

"Oh, about 4 hours. Plenty of time for me to clean you all out!"

"In your dreams Alex!"

Danziger laughed and took another pull on his drink. Winked at Elle and picked up his cards.

"Isn't Moera a new Adairian station?"

"Yeah, Les. It's suppose to be a good design. They just can't get the exterior portal door to close."

"Hmm...doesn't sound like a good design to me!"

"Well, if they didn't break, we'd all be outta work now wouldn't we?"

**********

Four hours later the foursome were suited up and doing last minute system and equipment checks.

"Aw for pete's sake!"

"What is it Les?"

"Those stupid nits back at Exotech only sent along one drone!"

Danziger considered their options. They could waste four more hours waiting for another drone to be sent out to them, or they could go on with the mission and invoke the hazard pay clause. This was a good experienced crew. He'd worked with Elle on eight other missions, even more with Les and Alex. This was a pretty routine job. Just check out the hydraulics in the portal doors. See which ones were leaking and seal them up. And pick up some extra credits to boot. Satisfied with this plan Danziger shared it with the others.

"Okay, here's what we'll do. Alex and Les will be working the farthest from the service hatch, so you guys take the drone. Elle and me will be approximately 100 meters from the service hatch, so we should be just fine."

"Sounds good to me"

"I'm always in favor of extra credits!"

"Okay, that settles it. Everyone make sure you stick with your work buddy and keep your tether and O2 lines separated."

"Remember, last one done buys the first round!"

****************

"How's it going, babe?"

"It should be fine now but it's still not functioning correctly."

Danziger could hear Elle reaching the limits of her frustration level.

"There must be another leak further down. A small one that didn't show on the diagnostic. Think you'll be okay if I mosey down and look for it? Or do you want to wait for Les and Alex to come and lend us a hand?"

"I am not a baby! I've been on more space walks than you! I'll be just fine. Besides I don't want you blaming me because we had to buy the first round!"

Danziger grinned, and winked at Elle. He disengaged his electromagnetic boots and grasped one of the handholds that peppered the station hull. Elle blew him a kiss and he started his hand walk around the arc of the station.

Five minutes later he located the leakage and set to work on it, humming softly to himself.

"John, there's something wrong with my O2 in-flow."

"Have you checked your connections?"

"Yeah, they seem okay. But the air just tastes stale, you know?"

"Okay, breath easy. I'm on my way."

Danziger stuffed his tools back into his kit and signaled the station.

"Station tech this is Exotech mission Crew chief Danziger, do you copy?"

"John! My air's been cut! I can't breath!"

Elle's fearful cry made Danziger's blood go cold.

"Stay calm, El. Start heading towards the hatch. I'm coming to help."

"Station tech! Come in! I have a mechanic in distress! "

He could hear Elle wheezing over his gear. Danziger began to sweat and his heart to thump more from fear than exhaustion.

He found her in route to the air lock hatch. She was floating about 10 meters from the Station's hull. Danziger grabbed her tether line and pulled her towards him. In her oxygen deprived state she didn't realize he was there until he grabbed her shoulder and turned her around.

"I'm here El. Let me check your lines."

He looked into Elle's terrified eyes. Her face was turning a telltale blue. The inside of her helmet was coated with blood. She was bleeding from her ears, nose, and possibly from the back of the head.

"My God, El! What happened?!"

Elle's eyes rolled backed and she lost consciousness without making a reply. Danziger frantically checked all her life support connections. They were all fine and secure. The problem must be station side then.

"Station tech, come in! I have an injured mechanic without life support out here, dammit!"

"This is station tech, we copy. What's you're problem, crew chief?"

"One of my mechanics is unconscious with a head injury and has lost her O2 flow! The problem is not on our end!"

"Crew chief, we are detecting a circuitry malfunction on our end. Get the emergency life support line off the drone and hook your mechanic up."

"If I had a drone I'd have done that already!"

"Who authorized your space walk without drone support?!"

"Nevermind! Just have the meds met me at service air lock 4!"

Danziger began the long futile walk back to the service hatch. His mind knowing it was too late, but his heart screamed at his legs to hurry! Elle's gasps became hoarser as she chocked on her own blood and CO2. Danziger babbled meaninglessly soothing words to her as he struggled towards the hatch. They were both weightless in space but the suits and that same weightlessness made holding and carrying her awkward. She started to flail about and tried to pull off her helmet just like an oxygen starved diver of old Earth. Then nothing. Elle's body went limp.

"El?"

Danziger no longer heard her strangled gasps in the earpiece of his gear.

"Elle? Come on babe, we're nearly there. You can't give up on me now!

Danziger's lungs burned from exertion and his eyes were stinging from either sweat or tears or both. After what seemed like a million years he finally reached the hatch door.

He laid Elle's lifeless body down. Waiting for the lock to pressurize and fill with oxygen he got a good look at her. She was unrecognizable. Her face was a puffy purplish black. Her eyes were wide open with fear; the pupils fixed and dilated. Her hair was matted with blood.

"Oh no, oh please no." He prayed softly. "Not yet, I'm not ready for this yet."

The green light flashed on signaling it was safe to remove space gear. Danziger tore his helmet and gloves off with shaking hands, then he removed Elle's.

"Come on Elle."

He gently patted her cheeks trying to get a response.

"Plenty of fresh air. Just take a little breath baby!"

"Mission leader, what's the status of your mechanic?"

"I need medical assist down here pronto! She's not breathing!"

"Do you know emergency respiration procedures?"

"No!"

"Sit tight then, medical personal are on their way."

Danziger slumped down against the wall with Elle's body cradled in his arms.

**********

Six hours later:

"Mr. Danziger, just answer the question please."

"I've already answered it 4 times! When do I get to see her!"

Danziger exploded out of his chair and sent it flying across the room where the wall finally stopped it. His hair was disheveled, his clothes rumpled, and his eyes bleary. Breathing erratically he began to walk purposefully towards the Station Incident Investigator. The smaller man had jumped up when Danziger had, and now he was backpedaling furiously. Danziger shoved him against the wall then grabbed his lapels and slammed him against it again knocking the man breathless. Twisting the man's collar Danziger forced him up on his tiptoes until they were nearly nose to nose. Glaring down into the man's sweaty fear contorted face Danziger replied coldly.

"I told you before. She called me and said she was having problemswith her air supply. When I got to her she was unconscious, and bleeding."

"That's quite a temper you got, Mr. Danziger. Did you ever use it on Ms. Moore?"

Danziger turned to the other Investigator that had remained quiet throughout the interrogation. Danziger released the man he was holding, and walked over to the table and leaned down on it.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

The man returned his gaze unflinchingly. This one wasn't easily intimidated.

"Neighbors reported hearing loud thumps and shouts coming from your quarters this morning. Some even heard Ms. Moore scream."

Danziger straighten up and ran a shaky hand through his tangled hair. He paced back and forth in front of the table. The Investigator watching him intently. He stopped and turned towards the seated man, a pained expression on his face.

"Is that what this is all about? You think I did that to her?"

"I don't know Mr. Danziger. Did you?"

"We were having a pillow fight, for God's sake! We were just kidding around."

"And when Ms. Moore turned down your marriage proposal didn't you accuse her of humiliating you?"

"Who told you guys that? Where'd you get your information?"

"Were you aware that Ms. Moore was pregnant, Mr. Danziger?"

"What?! No way! She would have told me!"

"She's three months pregnant. DNA results say its yours. Maybe you had reasons to believe it wasn't?"

"Look, Pal. I didn't know. Elle couldn't have known either or else she would have told me."

"Records show she saw a doctor three weeks ago and had her pregnancy confirmed. Babies can be very expensive, can't they, Mr. Danziger?"

"She never told me." He whispered. "I never would have let her go out on that space walk, especially without a drone."

"SHE DIDN'T TELL ME!"

"Sit down, Mr. Danziger. Let's talk about that droneless space walk."

A defeated Danziger walked across the room, picked up the discarded chair, and set it back down on the opposite side of the table. He dropped into the seat and gazed wearily at the Investigator.

"What do you what to know?"

***********

"JOHN! What happened? What did they want with you?"

Alex ran up to Danziger as he walked unseeing down the corridor. Les followed hot on her heels. Alex took one look at Danziger's haggard face and threw her arms around his neck. Danziger hugged her to him like a life preserver and buried his face against her shoulder. She rocked his trembling body like he was a child.

"I know baby, I know. It's hard. Shush now, you gotta be strong."

Les didn't say a word. He simply squeezed Danziger's shoulder and willed him some of his strength. After a few minutes Danziger lifted his head. Gave Alex a weak smile. Took her warm brown hand in his and kissed it softly. He rubbed his left eye, and cleared his throat.

"I'm going to the hospital to see Elle. Will you guys come with me?"

Alex squeezed his hand and nodded yes. The three friends slowly made their way down the passageway.

"You know, John. They asked me and Al a lot of questions about you and Elle."

"Yeah, Les. They asked me the same questions."

"Did they accuse you of anything?"

"Nah, just made a lot of innuendoes."

"Alex, did El tell you she was pregnant?"

"Pregnant?! She's pregnant? No, she didn't tell me."

"She didn't tell me either. I wonder if she ever planned to?"

**********

They were met by Dr. Branson outside Elle's hospital room. She was a middle-aged woman that screamed severity from every pore. Her spotless starched white lab coat disguised her figure, and her brown hair was pulled back in a tight bun. Her eyes were a muddy dead brown. Her slightly wrinkled lips were pursed in disapproval as she studied the scruffy group before her, and she impatiently tapped her electronic chart.

"The patient has sustain severe trauma to the cranium. Specifically the occipital bone. That's the back of the head. She never regained consciousness. Between the head injuries and oxygen deprivation, she's legally neuro-dead."

"Can I see her?"

"That's not necessary, Mr. Danziger. Since you weren't married, you aren't under any legal obligation to the child. If you'd just put your thumb print on this release form we'll terminate the pregnancy and turn off her life support."

Dr. Branson held the electronic chart out to Danziger. He looked helplessly from the chart to the doctor to Alex and Les. Alex rubbed his arm reassuredly.

"You don't have to. You loved Elle enough to want to marry her. Do you love her enough to want her child?"

"I haven't thought about kids, Alex. What am I gonna do with a kid?"

"Love it."

Turning to Dr. Branson, Alex asked if it was a girl or a boy.

"The fetus is female." The doctor replied tersely. "Mr. Danziger, I don't think you realize how expensive neuro-supportpayments can be. Surely someone in your situation would be concerned about taking on such a monumental financial responsibility."

"The man has a right to his child if he wants her!"

"A girl? Me and Elle are going to have a little girl?"

"John, you know me and Alex will help out all we can if this is what you want."

"I want to see her."

"Mr. Danziger, please! We are very busy here and have patients who need us that we can help! We checked your background and you already are burdened with an inherited debt. There is no way you can make neuro-support payments for six months or care for a child! Face reality and do the practical thing!"

"I'll make your DAMN payments! Just make sure my kid is all right!"

"Now move aside and let me see her, or so help me I'll move you myself!"

Dr. Branson harumpfed her disapproval but quickly stepped aside. Danziger walked into the room. He thought the sight of Elle on the floor of the air lock was the worst part of this whole ordeal, but he was wrong. Elle's body lay in a cryo-support unit. Tubes and wires stuck out all over her body and disappeared into the walls and ceiling. The only sound in the room was the soft hiss of the artificial respirator steadily pumping oxygen into her lungs. Elle's beautiful hair was gone. They had shaved it off when they had tried to heal her damaged brain. There were dark green circles under her eyes, and her skin had a pasty white look to it. She didn't even smell the same.

Danziger stood rigidly next to the bed. He began to tremble furiously. His body collapsed into the hard metal chair beside the bed. He planted his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands. His body was racked once again by uncontrollable sobs. He couldn't remember ever crying so much or being in this much pain. Not even when his mother had died. Looking up, he rested his chin in his hands and watched her. Then he rubbed his eyes and nose with his jacket sleeve, and leaned forward. He took her cold hand in his and kissed her forehead. He laid his cheek against hers and whispered in her ear.

"Marry me, Elle."

The End


End file.
